Firearm.



No. 805,588. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

P. P. L W. D. STANNARD.

FIREARM.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNI'. 1, 1903.

STATES UNITE El PATENT opinen.

FREMONT P. STANNARD `AND WILLIAM D. STANNARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIREAFEIVI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed iTune 1, 1903. Serial No1 159.405.

To all whom, it puny con/cern:

Be it known that we, FREMONT P. STAN- N-ARD and WILLIAM D. STANNARD,citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Firearms, of which the following is a full, clear,concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to firearms, and particularly to a detachable heador rib which may be used in conjunction therewith for sighting purposes.

It has heretofore been a common practice to provide double-barreledShotguns with a rib placed above and between the two gunbarrels. Thisrib has been provided with a substantially straight upper surface and isof use in lining up or sighting a gun before shooting. A great number ofsinglebarreled firearms have been constructed in which no such rib hasbeen provided, a small sight at the muzzle end of the'barrel being alonedepended upon for lining-up the gun. It has been found by personsskilled in the art that it is much more diiiicult to properly sight agun having a single barrel provided with a sight at the muzzle endthereof than it is to properly sight a gun provided with a rib similarto that now commonly employed with double-barreled Shotguns. It has beenproposed to provide single-barreled Shotguns with a rib similar to thatheretofore used on double-barreled guns, this rib being soldered orotherwise rigidly and permanently secured to the single gun-barrel; butsuch a rib, securely fastened throughout the length of the barrel of agun, has been found to interfere materially with the shooting qualitiesof the gun.

Our invention contemplates the provision of a detachable rib which maybe quickly and easily attached to the barrel of a firearm and which maybe readily removed therefrom at will. The means for attaching such adetachable rib to the barrel of the gun may be made such as not tointerfere with the shooting qualities of the gun.

Furthermore, there has been an immense number of firearms to which nosuch rib has been Xedly attached.

Our invention provides a simple and inexrubber, or may be formed ofmetal.

pensive means whereby a rib maybe attached to such gun-barrels.

Our invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 illustrates a well-known type of repeatingshotgun and a detachable rib for application thereto. Fig. 2illustratesasimilar gun with a detachable rib in place thereon. Figs. 8, 4, and 5illustrate details of the detachable rib shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 6illustrates amodified form of means for detachably securing the rib to agun-barrel, and Fig. 7 illustrates a modified construction of means andclamping means.

In Figs. 1 and 2 we have illustrated a repeating magazine-shotgunprovided with a single barrel 10 and a cartridge-magazine 11, theseparts being attached to the gun-frame at 12 and being held together byclampingarms 13 of a form well known to those skilled in the art. Thegun is provided with the usual stock or butt 14, trigger 15, and guard16. A grip 17 is provided for the purpose of actuating the feeding andejecting mechanism and for cocking the hammer. While we shallparticularly describe our invention as applied to such a gun, we do notwish to be limited to such a use thereof, as it will at once be apparentto those skilled in the art that our invention may be used in connectionwith a great variety of firearms.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 we have illustrated a preferred form of ribconstructed in accordance with our invention. The barrel 10 illustratedin the accompanying drawings is tapered from the butt to the muzzle endthereof, the taper being greatest toward the muzzle end of the barrel.The rib 18 may be molded of any suitable material, such as hard In anycase the lower side of the rib is preferably formed to it the gun-barrel1() in such a way that the top surface 19 of the rib will besubstantially straight from the butt to the muzzle end thereof. vided atits butt-end with a spring-clamp comprising the two arms 20 20, ofspring metal. The spring-clamp is adapted to fit snugly against thegun-frame at 12. As best illustrated in Fig. 3, a pair of ears 21 aresecured to the rib in such a position as to be`engaged between theclamping-arms 13 and the-gun- The detachable rib is probarrel 10. Asbest illustrated in Fig. 4L, the rib 18 is provided near the muzzle endthereof with a short slot 22, through which passes a sight 23, havingscrew-threaded engagement with the gun-barrel at 24C and provided with aiange 25, adapted to engage the sides of the slot 22 to hold the rib inplace on the gunbarrel. In applying such a rib to the gunbarrel the arms2O 2O of the spring-clamp may be slipped about the barrel at or near themuzzle end thereof, Whereafter the rib is slipped backward along thegun-barrel until the arms 2O 2O come into engagement with the frame atl2. The disposition of the ears 2l is such as to bring them to a pointon the gun barrel engaged by clampingarms 13, Whereafter the screw 26may be tightened to clamp the ears tightly in place upon the gunbarrel.rIhe screw-threaded sight 23 may then be screwed in place, thus securingthe rib firmly in position upon the gun-barrel. It will be apparent thatthe rib may be readily detached, if so desired. rIhe rib when thussecured in position upon the giin-barrel provides a means for sightingthe gun which is equal to the rib now commonly employed in connectionwith double-barreled shotguns, to the barrels of which such ribs are nowsecurely fastened. The expansion of the gimbarrel when fired is notaffected by the use of a rib such as we have herein described nor arethe shooting qualities of the gun in any Way affected by the use of sucha detachable rib as We have herein shown.

In Fig. 6 We have illustrated a modified means of attachment for therib, there being shown at the muzzle end of the rib a ring 27, adaptedto fit about the muzzle end of the gunbarrel. At 28 there is a ring theposition of which may desirably be made such that the ring will falldirectly back of theclampingarms 13 when the rib is in position upon thegun-barrel. A small set-screw 30 may be placed in either or both of therings 27 and 28, as shown in conjunction with the ring 27, for thepurpose of holding the rib tightly in place on the gun-barrel. The ears29 29 may be provided, these ears fitting partially about the gun-barrelto steady the rib in position thereon.

In Fig. 7 We have illustrated a modified form of rib which, as is clearfrom the drawings, may be constructed from a single piece of sheetmetal. This form of rib is of particular advantage, in that it may becheaply manufactured in large numbers by means of a stamping die andpress. The ribBO in this instance may be fiat on top` withdownwardlyprojecting side portions 31 81, the lower edges 32 of theseside portions being formed to fit the upper surface of the gun-barrel.rIlie ears 33 may be integrally formed With the rib itself', and thespring clamping members 34 34 may be cut from the same sheet of materialwith the rib itself, Whereafter these acabas clamping members may bebent into a shape suitable for clamping engagement with the butt-end ofthe gun-barrel.

While We have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of ourinvention and certain modifications thereof, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that many other modifications may be employedwithout departing from the spirit of our invention. 1We do not,therefore, wish to limit ourselves to the precise disclosure herein setforth; but,

Having described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patentl. In combination, a repeating firearm having a singlebarrel anda magazine, clampingarms for holding said magazine and saidbarrel together, a detachable rib for said barrel, ears carried by saidrib to be engaged by said clamping-ariiis.l and a springclamp at thcbutt-end of said rib engaging said barrel to hold said rib in placethereon.

2. In combination, a magazine repeating shotgun having a single taperingbarrel, a metal rib adapted to fit the upper side of said barrel and topresent a substantially straight upper surface, a spring-clamp at thebutt-end of said rib to engage the butt-end of said barrel to hold saidrib in place thereon, a sight having screw-threaded engagement with themuzzle end of said barrel, a {iange on said sight engaging said rib tohold the same in place, a pair of retaining-ears on said rib, andclamping means having engagement with said barrel and with said ears toretain said rib in place on said gun-barrel.

A 3. In combination, a shotgun having a single barrel, a metal ribadapted to lit the upper side of said barrel and to present asubstantially straight upper surface when in place on said barrel, aclamp at the butt-end of said rib to engage the butt-end of' said barrelto hold said rib in place thereon, said rib having a slot near themuzzle end thereof, a sight passing through said slot and havingscrewthreaded engagement ivith the muzzle end of said barrel, a flangeon said sight to engage the sides of said slot to hold said rib inplace, a pair of retaining-ears on said rib, and clamping means forengaging with said barrel and with said ears to retain said rib in placeon said giii'i-barrel.

il. In combination, a shotgun having a s ingle barrel, a rib adapted tofit the upperside of said barrel and to present a substantially straightupper surface when in place on said barrel, clamping means at thebutt-end of said rib for engaging the butt-end of said barrel to holdsaid rib in place thereon, a sight having screw-threaded engagement withthe muzzle end of said barrel, and a flange on said sight for engagingsaid rib to hold the same in place.

5. In a firearm, the combination with the barrel and magazine thereof,ofclainping-arms for holding said magazine and said barrel to- IOO IIO

gether, a detachable rib for said barrel extending along the entirelength thereof, a springclamp Consisting' of ears 2O at the butt-end ofsaid rib for retaining" said end against the barrel, ears at the middleof said rib adapted to be clamped against the barrel by saidclamping-ears a slot near the muzzle end of said rib, and a sightextending through said slot to hold said rib in place at the muzzle endof the barrel.

6. In a rearm, the Combination with ak barrel and magazine thereof, ofclamping-arms for holding said magazine and said barrel together, adetaeh able rib for said barrel extending along the entire length of thetop thereof, a spring-clamp consisting of ears 2O at the butt-end ofsaid rib for spring-engagement with said barrel, ears near the middle ofsaid rib clamped against the barrel by said clamping-ears, a slot nearthe muzzle end of said rib, a sight extending through said slot andhaving threaded engagement with the muzzle end of said barrel, and aflange on said sight engaging the sides of said slot to hold said rib 1nplace.

7. In combination,a firearm having' a barrel, a detachable rib for thebarrel of said firearm extending along substantially the entire length of the barrel, clamping means for securing the rib directly to the barrelat the butt-end, ears carried by said rib, and other clamping meansadapted to engage said ears to hold said rib in place.

8. In combination, a firearm having a single barrel and a magazine,clamping-arms for holdlng said magazine and said barrel together, adetachable rib for said barrel, ears carried by said rib to be engagedbetween said clampingarms and said barrel, clamping means at thebutt-end of said rib engaging said barrel to hold said rib in placethereon, and means for securing said rib to said barrel 'near the muzzleend thereof.

9. In combination, a firearm having asingle barrel and a magazine,clampingarms for holding said magazine and said barrel together, a

detachable rib for said barrel, ears carried by length thereof,spring-ears at the butt-end of said rib adapted for spring engagementwith said barrel to hold said rib in place thereon, ears intermediary ofthe ends of said rib, clamping means adapted to engage said ears to holdthe middle portion of the rib in engagement with the barrel, and meansfor fastening said ribs to said barrel near the muzzle end thereof.

l1. In a firearm, the combination with the barrel thereof, of a detachable rib for said barrel extending along substantially the entire lengththereof, spring-ears at the butt-end of said rib adapted for springengagement with said barrel to hold said rib in place thereon, earsintermediary of the ends of said rib, clamping means adapted to engagesaid ears to hold the middle portion of the rib in engagement with thebarrel, means for fastening said ribs to said barrel near the muzzle endthereof, and a sight associated with said rib near the muzzle endthereof.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe our names this 27th day of May,A. D. 1903.

FREMONT P. STANNARD. VILLIAM D. STANNARD. lVitnesses:

LYNN A. WVILLIAMS, JOHN STAHR.

